Known are work gloves having a resin or rubber layer on a partial or entire surface, for example in a palm region, of a base fiber glove for improvement in slip resistance and waterproofness. In particular, polyurethane resin-coated work gloves, which are superior in a breathable property, have been used widely.
Work gloves carrying a polyurethane resin coating on a fiber glove are grouped into two types: a type in which the resin is impregnated in the glove and the other type in which the resin is not impregnated in the glove. The resin-impregnated gloves are high in the slip resistance of inside surface of glove and the grip property between the glove and a hand, but low in wearing/removing efficiency. For example, such a work glove can be prepared by using a seamless knitted glove as base glove, fitting the base fiber glove on a hand-shaped mold for processing, coating a polyurethane DMF (N,N-dimethylformamide) solution thereon, immersing the glove held on the hand-shaped mold in a water tank for displacement of DMF in the solvent with water, and thus, allowing precipitation of the polyurethane by loss of solubility and forming a polyurethane resin film on the base glove and drying. Favorably, the work glove prepared by the method described above has a porous region where DMF is displaced with water, and is thus superior in air permeability and resistant to slipping between the hand and the work glove because of the impregnated polyurethane resin, and also superior in workability of the glove and suited for fine processing because there is no seam in the areas corresponding to fingertips. However, because the polyurethane resin impregnates inward through the base glove to the area on the hand-shaped mold, the impregnated resin, as it plays a role for slip resistance, causes problems such as deterioration in wearing/removing efficiency and also in touch feeling because the resin layer becomes thicker.
Patent Document 1 discloses, as a work glove carrying a polyurethane resin coating in which the resin impregnation is prevented, a glove containing an impregnated polyurethane resin not impregnating to the inside surface of the glove that was prepared by impregnating the base glove sufficiently with water before immersion in DMF and thus, allowing precipitation of the coated polyurethane resin in the region close to the base glove surface, before it impregnates to the inside surface of the glove. The method demands tightness of stitches in the base glove and water keeping property similar to that of spun yarns, and the finished glove is superior in wearing/removing efficiency, but slipping between the glove and a hand occurs, disadvantageously leading to deterioration in workability or anti-slipping force. In addition, the fiber glove inevitably becomes thicker for keeping water content, and it is quite difficult to keep the water content uniformly, especially when the thickness of the fiber glove is 0.5 mm or less. The impregnated water often caused irregularity, for example in resin impregnation, disadvantageously leading to a problem of deterioration in appearance of the glove. In addition, the resin layer, which is thicker, has another problem of unfavorable touch feeling.
Alternatively, Patent Document 2 discloses a fabric prepared by impregnating the base fabric in water, coating a polyurethane solution thereon, and precipitating the polyurethane in the region close to the base fabric surface, and the polyurethane work glove prepared by using the same is superior in wearing/removing efficiency, but has problems that it is inferior in workability, because of slipping between the glove and a hand, and lower in anti-slipping force.
Yet alternatively, Patent Document 3 discloses a method comprising steps of mixing a solvent-based polyurethane solution and a water-dispersed polyurethane solution at a suitable rate, preparing a raw material of a polyurethane resin unstabilized in the mixture solution, fitting a fiber glove previously impregnated with water and ethanol on a hand-shaped mold for processing, immersing it in the prepared raw material, and allowing precipitation of the resin before its impregnation inward. The method eliminates the need for a step of solidifying the polyurethane resin by displacement of the polyurethane-dissolving solvent with water in the process for manufacturing polyurethane resin coated work gloves produced by wet coagulation. But disadvantageously, the raw material is lower in stability and the loss of the raw material is large, and the polyurethane film may be come off easily from the glove, if the raw material precipitates too early. In addition, it is difficult to control the water content in the fiber glove.
Yet alternatively, Patent Document 4 discloses a fabric resistant to polyurethane impregnation that is prepared by finishing of a base fabric with a fluorine-based water repellent, and the glove prepared by using the same is superior in wearing/removing efficiency, but causes slipping between the glove and a hand, disadvantageously leading to deterioration in workability. Expansion of stitches of the base glove leads to facilitated resin impregnation, but it is in particular difficult to fit the base fabric on a hand-shaped mold in a complicated shape such as of glove, while preventing the expansion of stitches. If the action of the fluorine-based water repellent is too effective, the polyurethane layer may be come off from the base fabric, while if the action of the fluorine-based water repellent is too weak, the polyurethane resin may impregnates the base fabric, and thus, it is difficult to control the processing with the fluorine-based water repellent, especially when the base fabric is smaller in thickness.
Patent Document 5 discloses a glove of a non-expandable knitted fabric having a polyurethane resin film laminated on its base fabric. The resin is not impregnated into the knitted fabric because it is produced by lamination processing. Gloves having a polyurethane region outside surface are superior in wearing/removing efficiency, but causes slipping between the glove and a hand, which leads to deterioration in workability, while those having the polyurethane region inside surface have a problem of difficulty in wearing and removing. The very thin resin layer is damaged easily and has a low adhesion strength between the resin layer and the base glove, disadvantageously causing a problem of facile coming off of the resin layer during use.
As described above, work gloves prepared by coating a polyurethane resin on a work glove of conventional fiber textile are divided into gloves having the resin completely impregnating to the inside surface and those having the resin not completely impregnating. Gloves having a polyurethane resin completely impregnating have a problem of unfavorable wearing/removing efficiency of glove because of the slip-resisting action of the resin, while gloves having the resin not completely impregnating have problems of slip of thumb and fingers in the glove and deterioration in workability.    Patent Document 1: JP-A No. 61-146802    Patent Document 2: JP-A No. 2001-3727199    Patent Document 3: JP-A No. 2001-3986223    Patent Document 4: JP-A No. 2003-253566    Patent Document 5: JP-A No. 6-33303